bmxdad said:
I'm in Camera sales. Sold plenty of Canon cameras from people seeing their adds (special their Rebel T3i add), nobody have ever walked in and said: "do you have that Nikon camera that Kutcher showed in that add" Yes Nikon adds here in North America really have to be made better and I like some of the ideas above. Other ideas: Youth showing parents/grand parents a picture they have taken, parent recording images/video of child's first step(The Nikon 1 can do both in one motion) and there are many more ways to inspire use of Nikon gear

Pete

Just saw an TV commercial from Canon that featured Ron Howard. Would hope Nikon's marketing team is taking notes.

Edit: This is the add I was talking about. If this violates the rules just go to youtube and look for this tile: Canon's Project Imagin8ion - "Parade" :30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHeYtOUb8SY

Check your VISA card contract. If you have a VISA Premier your equipment is probably already insured, providing you used your card to buy it. :)

Note that it could also be true with the "normal" VISA card. It's worth checking with your bank before you go spending more money…

Yep, that's what I did. In the mean time just remember that whilst using your equipment for financial gain, it's not insured. Also, when you get to the stage of notifying them of the change of use, remember you'll need to invest in public liability and professional indemnity insurance too!

That last part about business use is tricky for me... I don't do that YET, but I am trying to start selling prints and do some event coverage when I can get it, so I don't use it for money now but I hopefully will soon but I don't know when that might be. I guess the safe option would be treat it as being used for business all the way, but maybe I can talk to them and explain that and when I do actually start making money with the thing, then I can change the policy in preparation for that.

My equipment is on my home insurance as a "specified item", which covers all risks at home and abroad. It was cheaper than any comparable quote from a specialist camera insurer, and has a lot less restrictions. All I need to tell them is a total amount of cover I need, not specify each item, so so long as I stay beneath this value everything is insured. One word of warning, you do need to tell them if you're using it for business use, or they won't pay out. It put the price up a bit, but still WAY bellow the next best quote.

Haven't run into anything else on this website, so I wonder if there would be other recommendations for someone wanting camera insurance in the United States?

I've alwayhs thought that showing pros using nikon gear was a good idea. I love the Nat Geo idea. Most of us can agree that Ashton never was good for selling nikons...

TaoTeJared said:
Sometimes Celebs certainly have a generational following. Kutcher in my generation is very popular (30's crowd) all are having kids and want to capture the moments and they have much more money than the "younger" crowd to do so. I think it works well for that demo target. Like him or not, Nikon is gaining ground with their marketing everywhere so they must be doing something right.

The only thing about Pitt & Seal is that they are Leica collectors & shooters. There are a lot of celebs that are really, really good photographers though. Unfortunately because of their "day" job we don't get to see their images often.

The NASA time lapse is great. Amazing to see how much we have changed this world into a christmas tree.

Chow Yun Fat would be one of the celebs that is probably a good photographer, he often shoots medium format.

I'm in Camera sales. Sold plenty of Canon cameras from people seeing their adds (special their Rebel T3i add), nobody have ever walked in and said: "do you have that Nikon camera that Kutcher showed in that add" Yes Nikon adds here in North America really have to be made better and I like some of the ideas above. Other ideas: Youth showing parents/grand parents a picture they have taken, parent recording images/video of child's first step(The Nikon 1 can do both in one motion) and there are many more ways to inspire use of Nikon gear

Pete

Idea...

Instead of only one celeb or photog, Nikon could find 15 or 20 celebs, photographers, known and not so well known for the ad. A caption on black screen would be "My favorite photo....was taken with a Nikon." Then pan around the room as each of these people holds up an 8 x 10 of their favorite photo (taken by a Nikon camera). Under each person would be his/her name and which camera they shot that particular photo with - none of them saying a word - just smiling. On the last person they would start with a close up of an astronaut who says "MY favorite photo was also taken with a Nikon" - as the camera pans out he/she is holding a majestic picture of planet Earth taken from the International Space Station.

I believe Jennifer Aniston uses a D700

Sometimes Celebs certainly have a generational following. Kutcher in my generation is very popular (30's crowd) all are having kids and want to capture the moments and they have much more money than the "younger" crowd to do so. I think it works well for that demo target. Like him or not, Nikon is gaining ground with their marketing everywhere so they must be doing something right.

The only thing about Pitt & Seal is that they are Leica collectors & shooters. There are a lot of celebs that are really, really good photographers though. Unfortunately because of their "day" job we don't get to see their images often.

The NASA time lapse is great. Amazing to see how much we have changed this world into a christmas tree.

lol the funny thing about Dianna, is that Nikodoby suggested her. She has a photography background, uses Nikon products, etc. If Nikon is going after the younger crowd, she is a good pick. (think about all the young people that watch glee, and how that could translate to P&S sales.) I personally would prefer something more akin to the European ads.

Also, i think everyone here is giving Ashton too much credit. He really isn't famous. He is best known for getting married/divorced to Demi Moore. After that, he is seen as the dumb stoner kid from That 70's show. He might be on Two and a Half men now, but come on... that's the first real work he has had in years. Maybe its just something that personally bothers me, but I find it similar to Kim Kardashian. What did she do to get "famous"? Her father got OJ off, and then she made a sex tape. If Nikon wants to use someone famous, go with someone like Brad Pitt. Seal is a camera nut as well. Really anyone, but these "new celebrities".

Lastly, I really do like the NASA advert idea. golf is onto something here. Any of you get a chance to watch the latest time-lapse videos?

I don't know about the rest of Europe, but U.K. adds are always professionally produced (maybe something due to the cost of air time?). When I've visited the US in the past, not only do you guys seem to have adds every 30 seconds, but many more are small firms advertising their businesses with a Handycam. No small business in the U.K. could afford airtime, they would use the radio or local papers. That doesn't explain why you feel Nikon is doing a poor job, I can't comment as I don't know the guy in question, or seen his adds.

I have never liked the guy anyway and I told my wife after seeing the Nikon 1 commercials over and over with him that I disliked Nikon. They shouldn't use some dumb actor to promote their stuff. I think they would do better with just a gallery of pics that have been taken with their camera...or I like the NASA idea.

They aren't selling some soda or something that the hip thing is to promote it with an actor of some sort. I know there are tons of pros that shoot with Nikon and I know lots of people that have multiple cameras such as a P&S and a dSLR...there are so many more ways it could be played that would work better and really show Nikon as a "professional" grade brand, but keep it geared toward your average joe schmo.

Why not ask Joe McNally or Chase Jarvis and show off their portfolio? They should show shots of both what they pulled off with Nikon gear in the past and what they can pull off now with Nikon gear in a tastefully done commercial?

Joe McNally would be especially appropriate because he's used Nikon gear almost exclusively through his career (I think).

Aston Kutcher just comes off as a big douchebag.

Michael DeRose said:
I agree, that if they get a new figurehead, it should be someone with a photography background. I believe someone else said Dianna Agron. I could see her selling a ton of the new mirror less cameras, especially if they ran an advert during Glee. I have to believe that Ashton was selected, to sell to young women. I think she could sell more and I wouldn't want to scrape my eyes out with knitting needles every time a Nikon ad comes on.

I did read Nikon chose Kutcher for their pacific rim (HK, JP, etc.) and they added him to the US campaign since they had nothing else - which is not unusual. I have no opinion of him either way or almost all movie celebs. Dianna who? (ok searched it) WA-WHAT! You're dissing the good looking guy dude for a teeny-bopper playing actress from Glee? (Glee makes me want to gouge my eyes & ears out.) And that would be any better to sell to what demographic? Middle aged... I'm not even going to go there. Geesh & good grief. Six of one & a half dozen of another. Maybe I just don't follow the grocery store celeb rags enough.

Celebrity-ness sells huge in different parts of the world and to different demographics and piggybacking celebs is not unusual and does work. I think if they did pull in/show pro photographers at work that would sell well. Canon did that with Art Wolf's show a few years back. I know that have a good impact on their sales. It would be fun to see a Nikon sponsored show on NatGeo.

I agree, that if they get a new figurehead, it should be someone with a photography background. I believe someone else said Dianna Agron. I could see her selling a ton of the new mirror less cameras, especially if they ran an advert during Glee. I have to believe that Ashton was selected, to sell to young women. I think she could sell more and I wouldn't want to scrape my eyes out with knitting needles every time a Nikon ad comes on.

I also agree with more mature adverts showing images from space and other beautiful landmarks. Maybe they could do one showing a bunch of major US cities. New York, Chicago, LA, San Fran, etc. I think it would be cool if they started on the east coast, at day break, and moved across the US, showing time changes. Ending in Cali with a nice ocean sunset.

I can only hope someone from Nikon sees this post and considers a change.

golf007sd said:
For example, I wold like to see them show how NASA uses their gear and show that off.

AGREE!!!!

I see it now, showing a FB game with a line of white lenses on the sidelines with a lone Nikon 400mm pointed up at the sky... pan out of the stadium, across the "sites", Rockies, Yosemite, Arches, etc. of the US and out to space with an astronaut shooting back downward to earth from the ISS.

Michael DeRose said:
Ashton Kutcher!!! ..... I also don't like that they shoot him out of a glitter cannon. What are they trying to sell?

This, I totally agree with. The first time I saw that, I'm thinking "What tha...?, What does that have to do with excellence in photography and advancing the technology in the new Nikon cameras?" Those commercials are definitely not inspiring. I said in another "ditch Ashton" thread that Nikon USA should find a figurehead who's somewhat known in the photography or movie arena, female or male, to taut this brand.

Yeah agreed, compared to Europe we are juveniles.

Anyway, get rid of the gigolo.

Hire Charlie Sheen instead.

@Michael I agree. It would be nice to see a new face introducing Nikon gear to the world. One would hope they would use more of a professional theme that all those childish gimmicks they bestow on the USA general public. For example, I wold like to see them show how NASA uses their gear and show that off.

I agree the EU's Nikon advertising makes the US's look like 5th rate add agency made them.

It is the agency who directs the actor. Your concerns of "perverted" should be directed to those writing the add, not those to get paid to act it out. He has no input on an International companies ad campaign.

Ashton Kutcher!!! I know others have talked in the past, that they thought he is an awful choice. Now that he is getting a divorce and more dirt is coming out on him, does anyone else think Nikon should get someone else?

I for one, never liked his adverts. I think they come across as perverted "Use Nikon's super zoom" (he zooms in on women on the beach). I also don't like that they shoot him out of a glitter cannon. What are they trying to sell?

If you compare the American adverts to the European ones, its like night and day. I watched them online, and they honestly made me want to go out and make photographs. I think its time for change.

Thoughts?

Straight of their website.

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